


Mr. Blue Sky

by VastDelusion



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: 70s Rock, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Annabeth is Nico’s best friend, Electric Line Orchestra, Elton John - Freeform, Fluff, Gas Station Employee!Annabeth, Gas Station Employee!Nico, Kissing, M/M, Millionaire!Percy, Octavian is manipulative and verbally abusive to Nico, Relationship Issues, Slash, Some angst, The Gas Station AU No One Asked For, Verbal Abuse, i wrote this in like a week, like the whole reason Percy started working at the gas station was Nico, mentions of cheating, pining!Percy, pure fluff, they’re all my babies except Octavian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-09-26 03:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20382928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VastDelusion/pseuds/VastDelusion
Summary: Ⓟⓔⓡⓒⓘⓒⓞ  Ⓢⓗⓞⓡⓣ  ⓈⓣⓞⓡⓨA.K.A the gas station fic no one asked for《In which Percy is the son of a multimillionaire, and Nico is obsessed with mellow 70's Rock》.・゜゜・Nico works at a gas station on the corner of the street. It's nothing spectacular until he is told he has to train the new employee: a man only a few years older than him and who acts kind of nervous around him. He never would have expected him to be the heir to the Jackson fortune.・゜゜・．.・゜゜・ If Percy hadn't seen that cute boy at the gas station, none of this would have happened. His father is tired of giving him handouts, so he has to pay for the damages to the car himself. He submits an application to the small gas station where he saw the boy, hoping some good would come out of it. Now, if only he would not be so oblivious and notice him... ・゜゜・．|© VastDelusion 2019





	1. Chapter 1

  
**  
Mr. Blue Sky**  


There was one perk about working the night shift at the little gas station at the corner of Cedar Street and Central Avenue. The pay was decent, but Nico could have gotten the same somewhere else. Anywhere else, but that spot, sitting at the little picnic table outside, was the perfect place to view the sunset. It seemed to be a completely different world once he stepped out of the glass doors and breathed in the fresh air.

The radio played different types of music—it depended on what the manager felt like. Tonight, it was 80s. The eclectic collection of idiosyncratic music, ranging from eccentric pop to some decent rock, played on and on, and it was starting to get on his nerves. If Queen played—which wasn't very often—he wouldn't complain. He was tired of the same people singing the same songs. Right now, it was some lady singing lyrics that weren't even clever. The song wasn't catchy. How did it ever make it on the radio? He chose to ignore it, but it still bugged him. 

Nico sat on the picnic table seat, his knee bouncing restlessly. The red paint on the picnic table was faded and worn away with age, and he considered asking the manager if he could repaint it, but he quickly relinquished the thought. 

He looked past the gas pumps to the bright red sun that slowly descended behind the skyline, leaving behind all sorts of beautiful colors that touched the clouds and a chill in the air. He hugged his jacket to his body and cowered back into the store. 

Usually, the foot traffic was heavy, so Nico didn't feel the pain in his feet until the weaning hours of the evening, when there was hardly a soul meandering the aisles of snacks and fatty foods the gas station had to offer for something quick to eat, or whenever he ventured outside to get a break from the fast pace of the store. He lifted one of his sore feet and held it in the air for a second or two before he replaced it on the dirty tile floor. 

He looked up to the analog clock stationed above the till. 3 more hours, then he could clock out and go home to watch tv or read. How he anticipated it. 

Nico decided to get a move on and beelined to the broom closet. He grabbed his favorite one—by which meant the least annoying one. It only took a couple of shakes to get the dirt out, but he had to pick off the gross hair and dust bunnies off the end by hand. Ew. 

Fortunately, he won rock-paper-scissors with Annabeth, so at least he didn't have to clean the bathrooms tonight. 

He swept all the aisles and around the food stations, collecting a considerable amount of dirt. He looked down at the large pile, relieved the chore was done. As he turned to retrieve the smaller broom and dustpan, his coworker leaped out around the corner and scared the living shit out of him. 

He placed his hand on his chest as he tried to regain the air that was forced out of his lungs as Annabeth laughed her ass off. 

It was sort of a little game between them, he supposed. They tried to scare each other when they least expected it, or were off in their own worlds of thought. She tended to get him more than he got her, but he still tried. 

"Gotcha, Neeks." 

"Yeah, yeah. Get over yourself," he said with a small smile as he continued to the broom closet to retrieve what he needed. 

"Annabeth: 3, Nico: 0," she taunted as she waved a gloved finger, a smug grin pulling at her lips.

Nico rolled his eyes and ignored her as he returned to his pile and began to clean it up. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．

Percy Jackson buried his fingers in his dark hair as he looked at the demolished bumper of his car. One of the lights had been broken, as well. And it was all that cute boy who was sitting outside the gas station's fault. Well, it was his fault, but if that boy wasn't sitting there at the picnic table, he wouldn't have looked over. He would have noticed there was a slight turn there, and he wouldn't have crashed into that stupid telephone pole. None of it would have happened, and he would have driven through town without a worry on his mind. But he was there, and it happened, so it was _definitely _his fault. For being so attractive, or something. 

He wasn't even there to help him out. He probably disappeared inside. 

It didn't matter. Now he was going to have to explain the damages to his dad. God, he wasn't going to be happy with him. He just got this car a month ago for his birthday, and it was already smashed in. He could lie, saying that someone else did it, but then his dad would ask why he didn't get the insurance information from the other person. He was smart that way. 

Cars passed him on the road, flying by him with a _zoom! _but he ignored them, trying to think of a plausible excuse or a way to explain it without his father getting angry. He couldn't think of one. 

"Shit!" he yelled to the sky, punching the air to vent out his frustration. 

He paced slightly before taking a deep breath and climbing back into his car and slowly making his way home. He prayed he wouldn't get pulled over for his broken headlight, but, fortunately, there wasn't a patrol car in sight. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


As Nico closed the door to his apartment behind him, he was immediately greeted by a imperative-sounding MEOW! as if the cat had been starving all day. Nico felt his soft fur brush against his ankles eagerly. He smiled tiredly before placing his bags down on the side table and reaching down to pet him. 

"Hey, Samuel. How've you been?" 

"Meow." 

"All right," Nico sighed as he looked to the kitchen to the cat bowl, which was almost empty. "There's still some left, Kitty." 

"_Meow_!"

"Okay, okay. Geez." He reached for the food measurer in one of the top cupboards—a place where even Samuel couldn't climb—and poured the designated amount of kibble in his bowl. Samuel watched patiently from across the room until he was done, wagging his fluffy tail against the linoleum floor. 

As Nico stood up straight, Samuel happily strode over to the bowl and buried his entire face in it. Cats. 

After putting away his groceries, he kicked off his shoes in his bedroom and plopped down on his bed, completely spent from the slow night at work. Perhaps the manager would play better music the next day, he thought as he turned on the lamp on the bedside table and flipped open his book to where he stopped the night before. He turned on some decent music—as he always said, no one could go wrong with a little Elton John. 

His eyelids felt heavy after half an hour. He ventured to the bathroom, took out his contacts, and brushed his teeth. He tucked himself back in his bed, feeling the little bounce of his cat jumping up on the bed. He looked at him with golden eyes, his grey-and-white fur visible even without the lamp on. He pet him carefully, the way he liked it, and he curled up on the second pillow next to his own. He folded his glasses and placed them on the night stand. It wasn't long before he fell into a dreamless sleep. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．

"_What_?" Percy couldn't believe his ears. 

"I'm tired of your negligence. Money can't fix everything. What if you got hurt?" Poseidon Jackson, CEO of Jackson Oil Company, lectured his son. "You need some responsibility in your life. Get a job." 

"Like, in the oil refinery?"

"No. An actual job, in the real world." 

"But..." 

"Go around to ask for applications."

"But, I don't have a resume." 

"Sure you do. You've worked in the refinery plenty of times. A job can help you pay for the damages of the car. It will teach you to be less careless with expensive things." He patted his son on the shoulder before leaving the room. 

Percy began to protest, but he stopped himself. He remained silent until his dad closed the door behind him. 

A job? He never really had one. Except for the times he helped his dad, but that didn't really count because he hardly did anything. He supposed his dad was right. If he was going to inherit the company one day, he was going to have to learn how to handle a job. But, first, he had to look for one. 

The attractive man who sat outside the gas station on the corner of Cedar St. and Central Ave. appeared in his thoughts. 

He knew exactly where to start. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


The manager looked down unsurely at the application that had been handed to him for consideration and review. 

"So, you've never...had any part-time jobs?" he asked. 

This kid looked in his early 20s, and he never put in a proper day's work anywhere? Perhaps he was just saying that because all the other jobs ended badly, therefore he didn't want to put it up for reference. 

Percy shook his head, tapping his foot nervously. "Not exactly. I've worked in my father's company a couple of times." 

He looked back down at it. No matter how he looked at it, there was someone who was willing to work there, despite the minimum wage position and long hours cleaning, and he needed the help. 

"You start your training Thursday." 

Percy never thought he would be happy about working at a gas station, but he supposed it was a step closer to being prepared to inherit the company and to fix his car. 

He shook his hand and thanked him for the opportunity before leaving the office. 

A flash of dark hair passed him with a mop bucket, and Percy's eyes lingered on him for a bit longer. When he saw this stranger outside the gas station, he didn't get quite a good look at his beauty as he could now. He hummed a familiar tune as he cleaned up a slushee stain on the tile floor, his slightly-long dark hair swaying back and forth with his movements. 

God, he was gorgeous. 

He was thin, but he was fit, his toned arms tensing up as he sloshed the mop back and forth across the floor. His eyes were the color of chocolate, hardened with concentration on the task at hand. 

They soon moved up to meet his. 

"Hello," he greeted cordially, whisking Percy away from his daze. "How can I help you?" 

Percy's face heated up slightly from embarrassment. 

"Oh, nothing, sorry." 

"That's okay." The beautiful boy shrugged his shoulders and cast a friendly smile at him before turning to replace the mop back in the closet. "Have a good day."

"You, too." He took a few seconds to compose himself and bought a 7-Up before leaving the store. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．

"Haha, you're training someone today," Annabeth taunted. 

Nico rolled his eyes. Those he trained ended up quitting three weeks later, so he never saw the point in it, but it wasn't too bad. All he had to do was show them the ropes and let them on their way. He watched from the sidelines from time to time so he could see how they were doing. If they fucked up at something, he'd slide in and help them. It wasn't hard. The hard part was keeping people there. 

The sweet allure of a gas station, where people dumped ridiculous amounts of garbage and the employees had to deal with all the unidentifiable liquids and waste that got sloshed all over their clothes because people were too careless to dump out their drinks on the ground before throwing them away, so they smelled disgusting for the rest of the day. Honestly, Nico couldn't really blame them. 

"As long as they're capable, I'm fine with it. You're stuck with till." 

Annabeth stuck out her tongue playfully. To deal with people complaining about and blaming her for the increasing prices of common goods, as if she could magically control inflation and dictate the prices for every piece of merchandise was what she lived for.

Soon, the door opened, and a man with dark hair and tanned skin came walking through. Nico thought he saw him before, but he'd seen over a hundred faces since the day before, so he couldn't tell for sure. 

"Hello," he said. "I'm Percy. I'm going to be working here from now on." 

He gave Nico a friendly smile. 

Were his eyes green or blue? Nico couldn't tell, but he thought they were the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


"This is the cooler," Nico told him as he opened the heavy, insulated door and gestured at the plentiful shelves of soda and alcohol. "Usually, this time of year, it's full to the brim. The Coke, Pepsi, and Budweiser trucks don't come until Friday, so it's kind of empty right now. The Coors truck comes here every Tuesday. When you don't feel like dealing with people, coming back here to fill in holes and condense is a nice little break. It gets kind of quiet, through, since you can't hear much of anything except the fans."

Percy nodded, making a mental note to bring a light jacket his next shift. 

Throughout the shift, Nico showed him which cleaners to use for the bathrooms and which rags were better to use. He taught him how to steer the mop bucket and to vacuum the rugs. Percy thought that he wasn't doing bad, considering he never had a "real" job. 

Nico was happy that he had someone else to clean the bathrooms with and to share his disgust with. At least he was competent. He hoped he would stay longer than when he received his first paycheck, unlike the others he trained. 

Percy got the gist of things pretty quickly. He even started joking with them as if he'd known them both more than a few hours. He was a hard worker and wasn't afraid to ask Nico if he was unsure about something. 

Currently, they were beating the shit out of the ice bags out back to dump in the tops of the fountain soda dispenser. 

"This is a good way to physically beat out your frustrations," Nico said as he bent over to retrieve the crushed ice bag from the concrete. He threw it perfunctorily on the cart. Percy followed suit. 

"I guess that's a good way to look at it." 

Nico laughed slightly. 

He was cute and funny, Percy concluded, as well as beautiful. He found it cute that Nico expressed a strong disliking to the current radio station—he complained about it often, but it wasn't annoying—and that he scrunched his nose in disgust at the food that had been left in the warmers for too long. 

Percy felt his face heat up and his eyes quickly reverted to the ground. Whatever this feeling blooming in his gut and consuming his insides was, he didn't think it was good for his health, but he didn't want it to stop. 

He was a man who got anything he wanted, no matter the circumstances, and he decided right then that he wanted Nico. And he would do anything to ensure he was successful. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．

If Percy was being a little sycophantic, he was hoping no one would say anything, but when Nico was around, he felt a sudden surge of energy and worked faster, harder. Nico seemed to be impressed with his work ethic, if not a little concerned. 

"Don't overwork yourself, now," Nico reminded him. "I don't want you to get too burnt out so that you don't want to come to work anymore."

Percy never really heeded his comments, but he would slow down a little, just for his sake. 

Nico personally liked him: he was nice, funny, and enjoyable to be around. But, he tended to act a little nervous whenever he was around. If he intimidated him, he didn't intend to. He was just an employee there to pay his bills, like him. 

He was pretty attractive, too. 

Annabeth raised her eyebrows suggestively when she caught him staring at him a bit too long. 

"What?" he asked, his face heating up slightly. "I can still look." 

She shook her head adoringly. "Whatever you say, Nico." 

He huffed indignantly and followed him to assist with whatever he planned to do next. Only 2 hours until the graveyard shift showed up, and he could go home. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


Nico waited impatiently outside for his ride—a golden 1997 Lincoln Continental—to show up. The florescent lights buzzed overhead and gnats and moths swarmed around them eagerly. The wind tousled his hair lightly as he tapped his thigh with his fingertips restlessly and gave an impatient sigh.

He was late—well, later than usual. He was worried if something happened, or if he just lost track of time. 

Cars whooshed by through the darkness, and Nico watched them eagerly, hoping to see the familiar car flick on its blinkers and turn into the parking lot. 

He would wait inside, but the graveyard shift guys kind of freaked him out. He thought one of them tried to feel him up once, but he wasn't completely sure if it was just an accident. Still, he wanted to avoid it ever happening again, so he waited obdurately outside for his ride to show up. 

Percy poked his head out of the window of his car. It was an expensive one: a blue 2017 Corvette Grand Sport. Nico wondered how he could afford one and have to work at a gas station, but he didn't question him. 

"Do you want a ride?" Percy called to him, his elbow hanging out the window. 

Nico shook his head. "I've got one. Thanks, though." 

Percy nodded. "I don't really want you to wait alone." 

Nico exhaled. He was persistent, and he wouldn't mind the company, so he let him stay. 

Fifteen minutes slowly crawled by, and he still wasn't there. 

"Are you sure you don't want a ride, Nico?" 

He shook his head again. "He'll be here in any moment, I'm sure." 

Percy sighed. _Stubborn._

Eventually, a shabby car turned into the lot. The tinted windows rolled down, hard rock music flooding into the night air as Nico approached the car, relieved. 

"Hey, babe," the man said over the loud music. 

Nico smiled as he opened the door. "Took you long enough." 

Nico leaned in and kissed him briefly. 

Percy's heart felt like it was just crumpled up like a piece of paper and thrown carelessly into the garbage. 

"Thanks, Percy!" Nico called out to him before the Lincoln drove away. 

Percy sat in the parking lot in silence for fifteen more minutes staring into space before he decided he just wanted to go home.


	2. Chapter 2

"Thanks for the ride," Nico told his boyfriend, and he gave him a chaste kiss. 

He felt his warm hand on his hip as the kiss deepened. His fingers teased the hem of his work shirt before it glided up his side, sending tingles up Nico's spine. 

"No, Octavian, I'm dirty," he told him. "It was a gross day today. I need to shower." 

He gave an indignant hum in response. "I don't care."

His lips moved to the pale skin of his neck. It kind of tickled.

"_Octavian_!" he almost shrieked, a smile finding its way onto his lips. His head tilted to the side to acquiesce his actions. "Seriously. Let me go. I'll see you tomorrow."

Octavian pouted slightly. Nico kissed his lips.

"Promise."

Octavian smiled and kissed him a couple more times before Nico drew away and left for his apartment. 

"Bye!" he called. 

Octavian waved and waited for Nico to disappear in the building. He pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his contacts before bringing it to his ear. A coy smirk pulled at his thin lips as he waited for him to pick up. 

"Dakota? Yeah, I'll be there in a bit. Wait for me, all right?"

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


Percy pulled his shoes onto his socked feet sluggishly.

The first person in years he had shown interest in had a _boyfriend_. What were the chances of that? He was going to back off, of course, but it was kind of going to suck being reminded that he was the cutest person ever, but completely and totally unavailable. 

Well, it was like they always said: all the cute guys were either taken or gay. Fortunately and unfortunately for him, Nico was both.

He shook his head. He was caught in the throes of self pity, and no self-respecting Jackson would be caught in that sort of state. He stood to grab his jacket and set off for work. 

He waved to his mother, who stood on the third floor balcony—a place that his father and he dubbed "the Jungle" due to all the plants and greenery that were strewn all over it—before opening the garage, climbing into his Corvette, and pulling out of the driveway. He hoped that traffic at the gas station wasn't too heavy that day. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


Percy replaced the missing Coke cans in their racks. His fingers were feeling stiff, but it was just as Nico said: avoiding people was what hiding out in the cooler was for. He was lost in his vast world of thought. 

He still wanted him, but he had to let go. Even if he was a gorgeous, funny, smart, adorable Italian boy that talked with his hands and yelled at everyone to shut up whenever an Elton John song came on, he had a boyfriend. He couldn't have him, even if he wanted him more than anything. He was butt-hurt about it, so he did what anyone would do: he avoided him like the plague. He hoped he didn't notice. He'd only known him for a few days, but he had fallen in too deep. There was no hope for redemption. 

A click of the cooler door opening brought him back to reality, and he looked up to see him. The person he wanted to see the least at the moment. Nico brushed a strand of dark hair out of his chocolate eyes and cast a small smile at him. 

He looked slightly upset, but Percy couldn't imagine why. He didn't say anything to him; he just turned back to what he was doing. 

"Are you avoiding me?" Nico spoke up, breaking the palpable silence. 

Percy looked at him cluelessly and lied through his teeth. "No. Why?" 

Nico shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. It just seemed like you were. Are you mad at me, for some reason?" 

Percy shook his head. "No," he said in a light tone. 

"Ok." 

The room was engulfed in silence once more as they continued to fill in the empty spaces and stacked the unnecessary totes that once held various drinks. 

Percy tried his best to pretend the object of his thoughts wasn't standing right next to him, but his insides were aching, his limbs yearning to touch him. He let his sensibility take over, and he left Nico alone in the cooler. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．

It occurred to Nico that Percy was uncomfortable around him several times. He used to be merely nervous, but now he scarcely spoke to him, let alone stand in the same room with him for more than five minutes. He wondered if Percy felt uncomfortable with his sexuality, because he knew Percy saw him kiss Octavian the other night. He shook his head. He knew that wasn't the case. He was sweet, really. Now, he just acted coldly to him. He tensed up around him, as if Nico's mere presence disturbed him. 

He sighed despondently as Percy went outside.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you think Percy's avoiding me?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but he is acting differently." 

Nico's gaze remained on the door Percy had left out of. "I don't know." 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


Nico opened the door to his apartment soporifically. He ignored his cat brushing up against his shins and made a beeline to the couch. He plopped down unceremoniously and buried his face in his hands. 

Octavian and he fought again. 

It was about stupid stuff, as usual. Octavian wanted sex, but he felt he wasn't emotionally prepared. Octavian thought it meant he didn't care about him. They yelled back and forth at each other until Nico got out of his stupid car and slammed the door behind him, storming off into his apartment building. He didn't know if he wanted to throw something or cry. 

Octavian called him a slut. A whore. He thought he was seeing someone else, that was why he didn't want to sleep with him. It was the furthest thing from true. He loved Octavian. He would never do anything to hurt him like that. He just didn't have it in him. He would hate himself forever if he ever brought himself to cheat on him. 

He forced the tears back as he felt another presence on the couch with him. He looked up to see Samuel, purring loudly. He rubbed his head against his hand almost pleadingly. 

"Sorry, Kitty," Nico apologized. "I let my relationship drama get in the way of your food, huh?"

With great effort, he stood up on his sore feet and trudged to the kitchen to fill the cat's bowl. 

Samuel looked up at him expectantly. 

"What? There's your food." 

He meowed. Nico rolled his eyes with an adoring smile and kneeled down to pet him. Samuel began to eat the kibble, purring slightly and lifting his butt in the air whenever Nico's palm reached his tail. 

"I know, Kitty. I love you more than anyone, I promise."

Samuel seemed satisfied with that.

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


Nico had been back in the cooler for awhile, now, and Percy had begun to worry. What if he fell and broke something? Or what if he was lying unconscious on the floor? 

Percy rushed back and checked on him, but he was merely restocking the glass bottle Starbucks coffees. He sighed in relief. 

"Hey," he said, catching Nico's attention. "Are you all right?"

He nodded, albeit distractedly. "Yeah, I'm ok. Why?"

"I dunno. You've just been back here for awhile. You usually have a super psychic sense whenever an Elton John song comes on."

He perked up at that. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked as he tore past Percy and out into the store. 

Percy smiled adoringly as he watched him leave the cooler. There was obviously something bothering him, but he knew he didn't possess the mental strength to ask him what. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


Of all the people to roam around the store, the last person Nico would suspect would be Poseidon Jackson, the C.E.O of Jackson Oil Company, primped up in his sleek suit. He tried to help him as much as he could without being a nuisance. If he got a good review on their Google page from a man of such high caliber, he'd get a raise, for sure, but he tended to speak with Percy a lot, as if he knew him somehow. No doubt Percy was related to, or at least well-acquainted with some rich people; the $70,000 car sitting behind the store was proof of that. It was a wonder no one tried to steal it yet, with it sitting out in the open, susceptible and vulnerable.

After the tycoon left, Nico approached his coworker. 

"Do you know him?" 

"Oh, yeah." Percy waved it off. "He's my dad."

Nico felt as if his jaw dropped to the floor. _Percy was a fucking millionaire! What the hell was he doing at a gas station?!_

Percy laughed slightly. "Oh, come on, is it really that surprising?"

Annabeth seemed to be in the same boat as Nico. 

"What the hell are you doing here, then?" Annabeth asked.

He laughed slightly. "I wrecked my car, a little. He said I had to pay for it myself, so I applied here."_ Because of Nico._ He quickly relinquished that thought. "Surprise."

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．

"I'm sorry, baby," Octavian's voice said over a voicemail Nico previously chose to ignore. It was a moment of weakness when he decided to open it. "I didn't mean all those things. I guess I'm just... _frustrated,_ you know? I love you, you know that. You're my baby. I know you'd never cheat on me. Just call me back, okay?"_ Beep. _Message end. 

It churned Nico's insides. He knew he couldn't stay mad at him. He reached for his phone on the coffee table to call Octavian and invite him over, but it began to vibrate. 

He checked to see who called. It was an unknown caller. Nico thought it to be a telemarketer, but he answered the call, anyway. 

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nico. It's Percy," said the voice from the other side. His voice sounded deeper, somehow. Sweeter. 

Nico smiled against his volition. 

"I just wanted you to know that this is my number. Call me whatever you want on your contacts."

"Ok, sounds fine." 

They talked for a little while longer until he forgot all about Octavian's saccharine apology voicemail. 

The next morning, Percy received a text. 

** Nico: Good morning. **

** Nico: You've recently been granted the title of "Big Money Mama💰." Do with it what you will. **

Percy laughed for a solid five minutes. He had fallen for a complete dork, but he stopped to remind himself that he couldn't love him. It was against the unspoken Coworker Code. 

Despite that, he changed Nico's contact name to "❤️**Nics**❤️."

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


Nico and his boyfriend were having a shouting match outside. Annabeth looked concerned, but she remained behind the till, waiting for it to be over. If the manager uttered even one word about it being bad for business, she vowed to punch him in his goddamn teeth. It was almost 10 o'clock. No one reasonable came in at this time, anyway. They were having a rough patch, and Nico's mental health was more important than catering to a couple of strangers who just came in to use the bathroom.

Percy tried to follow suit, to ignore it and carry on with his job. He tried his best not to eavesdrop—it wasn't his business, but some things that this guy said to Nico made him want to interfere. No, it made him want to want to run him over with his Corvette, but he already had one damaged car. Nico's boyfriend's guts wouldn't make very good decals. But if he called Nico a slut one more fucking time, he was going to have to reconsider. 

Vehicular manslaughter wasn't high on Percy's priority list, especially considering his status, but it was steadily climbing with every insult and rude thing he said. 

As the douchebag walked away, Nico was left sobbing on the bench outside the door. He waited for Nico to calm down slightly. It was hell seeing him being torn down like this, but if he was going to comfort him, he needed to wait. 

Once his sobbing subsided, Percy opened the glass door to sit beside him. 

"Please, just go away, Perce. I can't right now." His voice was hoarse from crying. 

"Either let me comfort you, or I'm going to punch his teeth in. I know it's none of my business, but I need an outlet, here." 

Nico began to cry again. He allowed Percy to hold him and buried his face in his shoulder, wetting his shoulder of his shirt with his tears. Percy told himself he would never let anyone hurt Nico like this again, boyfriend or not. 

A few minutes came and went, and Nico leaned his forehead against Percy's shoulder. Percy knew he had to say something—anything to break the morose silence. 

"You're important to me, you know," Percy told him, in a tone barely louder than a whisper. 

Nico remained quiet. 

"I hate seeing you like this. You deserve better. You know you do." 

Nico picked at the chipped, red paint of the wooden bench. 

The moon shone down on his pale, freckled face as he tried to conjure up a response. "I know. I don't know why... He says he doesn't mean the things he says to me. But he keeps saying the same things again and again." Nico sniffled. "Sometimes it feels like he means it. I'm not..."

Percy tightened his arm around his shoulder and shook his head. "You deserve so much better than this, Neeks." 

Nico nodded, leaning further into his friend's hold. He let him comfort him. It felt...nice. 

"Do you want me to drive you home?" 

Nico considered it before shaking his head and standing. "No." He wiped away his tears with the pads of his fingers and sniffled. "I'm okay. We can finish up the bathrooms and maybe the graveyard shift guys will show up early." 

Percy cast a gentle smile at him. "Okay." 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．

For the remainder of the shift, everyone tiptoed around Nico. Even the manager had some decency to acknowledge that he was upset and the littlest thing could set him off and cause a mental breakdown. Soon, the bathrooms were spotless and the graveyard shift guys showed up.

"Do you need a ride home?" Percy asked Nico, knowing that the shabby, golden car would not show up in the parking lot that night. Even if it did, Percy hoped he would sit there for hours until he realized Nico wasn't going to come out. 

Nico pondered it before nodding and following him to his expensive car. 

He never really had a chance to fully observe it until he stood beside it. It was beautiful, like a regal stallion waiting patiently for him to ride. The smooth leather interior was comfortable beneath him as Percy turned the key in the ignition, and the car roared to life. Nico felt excitement swell in his stomach, his sadness forgotten, if only for a brief moment. 

They turned out of the parking lot and zoomed down the nearly empty streets with a satisfying speed. Nico closed his eyes and leaned back into the cushioned seats, allowing adrenaline to course through his veins. He felt alive. 

Percy switched on his radio to appease the silence of the car. He selected a song that he knew Nico adored. 

The familiar piano chords struck, and Nico was suddenly alert. 

_ "When are you going to come down? When are you going to land?"_

"I love this song," Nico grinned. 

"I know." 

Nico hummed along to the song as they drove down the streets. 

"So, up the street, here?" 

"No, the next one over." 

"Okay." 

He pulled to a stop at Nico's modest apartment building. 

The song came to an end, and the two of them sat in silence until Nico spoke up. 

"Thank you." 

"No problem. Anytime." 

"No, I mean... I mean, for everything. It meant a lot to me. I hope you know that." 

"I do." 

Nico smiled slightly. Suddenly, his insides swelled, and he did something he never thought he was capable of. He unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned in, and gave Percy a quick, chaste peck on the cheek. Immediately, he felt embarrassed and climbed out of the car. 

Percy sat there in silence, trying to process what had occurred. A jolt of happiness surged through him as he gave a brief laugh of incredulity. He realized Nico had left the car and he burst the door open. He still had to ask him something. 

"Wait, Nico!" 

He turned quickly, his hand on the handle of the door. "Yes?" 

"Should I come pick you up tomorrow?" 

He gave it a little thought before answering, "Sure. Is 1:30 okay?" 

Percy coughed nervously. "Y-Yeah, sure." 

Nico smiled. "Okay. See you then." 

He disappeared in his apartment building and left Percy outside. He lingered out there for a brief moment to let it all sink in before silently celebrating. He hopped back in his car and took off down the street. 

Nico watched him leave from his living room window. He was driving a little faster than he probably should have been, but he wasn't concerned. 

He smiled to himself. He knew he was a terrible person for not being completely devastated. His 6-month long (and longest-lasting) relationship with Octavian had pretty much ended, but he only felt a little sad. He supposed Percy was a worthy distraction from his sadness. He gave him something to feel excited about. He made him feel cared for, which was a lot more than Octavian had made him feel in a long time. Maybe he didn't love Octavian that much, after all. Percy was right—he was a fucking douchebag. He deserved better than him. Perhaps Percy meant himself by that, but Nico didn't mind if he did. 

He fed his cat, did his dishes more energetically than usual, did his usual bathroom routine, and threw himself onto his bed. As he folded his glasses and placed them on the nightstand, he counted down the hours until Percy would pick him up the next day. 13 hours, 28 minutes. He couldn't wait.


	3. Chapter 3

At 1:20 p.m., Octavian's car pulled up to Nico's apartment building. Nico wanted to tell him off. He wanted to just make him climb back in his car and drive away. He wanted to tell him that he never wanted to see his face again, but when he stood before him, all words failed him. Octavian had that same look on his face—vulnerable. 

"Nico," he began. "I... You weren't there last night."

Nico looked into Octavian's steely blue eyes coldly. "I wasn't." 

"Are you still mad at me?"

Nico nodded, his eyes drifting down to the cracked sidewalk beneath his shoes. 

An apologetic smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "You know I love you. I'm just really stressed out, and I... I guess the littlest things are making me angry..." 

"Yeah, you say that a lot," Nico told him. "You say you don't mean the things you call me or say to me. But you keep saying them. You keep calling me a slut." 

"I know you're not a slut," Octavian continued. "You're a very beautiful person who would never do that to me. I don't mean to make you sad. I love you so much that I don't know what to do with myself." 

"I'm trying to love you, too, but I think I deserve better." 

"I know you do," he said. "You could do so much better than me. I guess... I'm afraid. You're the best fucking thing to ever happen to me and I don't want you to leave me. I don't mean to belittle you and insult you. I know I hurt you, Neeks, and I regret it with every piece of me." 

He cupped Nico's cheek in his hand, caressing it lovingly with his thumb. Nico didn't want to let him, but he did anyway. 

"I know we have something," Octavian murmured. "I know you see it, too. I love you." 

A small smile tugged on Nico's lips. Octavian kissed him. And he kissed back.

When he pulled away, he looked past Octavian to see Percy watching them, a disappointed look on his face. He shook his head despondently and turned to go back inside his car. Nico wanted to call out to him, to tell him that it didn't really mean anything, but he didn't. He let Percy slam the car door behind him and speed down the street. 

He let the wrong one go. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


Percy wouldn't talk to him. Why the hell would he? He broke it off with Octavian just to get back with him, after Percy had done so much by comforting him and giving him a ride home. Octavian broke him down, and Percy built him back up. What he had seen was just like he slapped him in the face. 

He wanted to apologize. For being stupid, for being a pushover. He forgave way too easily. 

Nico would be pissed at him, too, if things happened in reverse. He was pissed at himself. How could he treat a friend like that? 

Percy had been stowed away in the cooler all shift. He wouldn't even look him in the eye. Nico realized he just kind of led him on, and it was a cruel thing to do. 

He told himself that he was absolutely, completely, unadulteratedly done with Octavian. How he felt with Percy the night before was something magical. He felt like his heart was going to explode from anticipation. He was reckless, all his inhibitions flying out the window. He just loved how he felt being with him. Percy would never call him names or belittle him, no matter if he was stressed or frustrated. 

Nico faced the truth. He was a fucking coward.

The happy, energetic music playing on the radio directly opposed how he felt as he wiped down the counters. It was slow; hardly a soul wandered through the store all day. He wondered if they could just close up and go home. But who would give Nico a ride home? He would have to ask Annabeth. He wouldn't ask Percy. He sure as hell wouldn't call Octavian. He was done with him. 

Nico picked up a broom and wished that he could forget about everything.

.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．

Percy wanted to go home. He didn't want to work with Nico. He still cared about him, but how could he be so blind? He was constantly being put down, but he forgave him the next day. Octavian would come swooping back in and say something that apparently amended everything. What a manipulative, weaselly bastard. 

The next time he showed his face around him, he was going to punch him for sure. 

A can fell from his hand and landed on the cold, concrete floor, its contents splattering everywhere. He took a deep breath, fisting his hair in frustration. He quickly left to grab the mop bucket. 

Nico was sweeping the aisles. He looked genuinely guilty about what happened. Percy knew that it wasn't his fault he forgave so easily. His asshole of a boyfriend probably twisted his mind sideways over the time they'd been together. And he probably thought it was all his fault Octavian was mean to him, or that Percy was angry.

Why did he go into the janitorial closet again? 

He shook his head to get his mind back on his job. Mop first, apology later. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


Percy sighed, picking up a broom and helping Nico sweep the store. 

Nico didn't seem to notice him. If he did, he didn't show it. He kept his eyes on the ground as he pushed the broom in front of him. 

The jubilant ABBA song was almost at its end, and not a soul was around. 

Percy passed Nico, watching him to see if he had any interest in his presence. Nico morosely continued to sweep. 

"So, Nico..." Percy addressed him, breaking the near-silence of the gas station. 

Nico looked up at him from his broom. "Yeah?"

"Do you work tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"What time?"

"At two. Why?"

"Did you want me... I don't know... to pick you up? Or is Octavian going to give you a ride?"

"Percy..." he sighed, stressed. "I'm sorry, I didn't..." 

"No, it's okay. What I don't understand is why you keep doing this to yourself," Percy said. "If you don't want me, fine. It doesn't matter. Just, why do you stay with him?" 

"I don't. I broke up with him this morning." 

"Well, it didn't look like it," Percy snapped. 

Nico was starting to get pissed. "What does it matter to you, anyway? That I'm your friend? You just don't want me to get hurt?" 

"I think you know the answer to that," Percy returned. "I don't want to throw myself in the way of your relationship, or whatever the hell you have, and I'm not trying to say I'm better for you, or anything. I just want you to stop torturing yourself like that. What happens when it's no longer 'slut' and 'whore'? What if he starts to hit you? I can't... I can't let you let him talk to you like that. If you want to stay with him, that's fine. Just don't let him walk all over you. Set some boundaries." 

"That's none of your fucking business."

Percy shook his head. "Nico..."

He didn't know what to say. He took a couple of deep breaths and continued to sweep the floors. 

Nico regretted telling Percy off. He didn't mean for things to happen that way, it was just... He didn't want to hear the truth from someone else's mouth. 

"Percy?" 

He looked up at him. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't..." 

Percy shook his head. "Stop apologizing. It's fine. You did nothing wrong." 

"No, I did everything wrong." 

"I hope you know that none of this is your fault." 

Nico looked confused. "How is none of it my fault? It was my decision to stay with Octavian. Well, I mean, I was with Octavian." 

"He made you think differently. You just don't realize it." 

Nico's gaze reverted to the dirty, tiled floor, and a new song began to play on the radio, catching both of their attentions. 

"You love this song," Percy said, almost wistfully.

Nico's eyebrows contracted. "How did you know?" 

Percy smiled slightly. "You say you love this song every time it plays. And it kind of plays a lot." 

Nico felt embarrassed. 

"I know you," Percy said. "Believe it or not, over the short time I've known you, I'm beginning to understand how you operate. You think everything is your fault, and you let little things upset you. You are just damaged, is all, but you can be fixed. All you have to do is let me." 

Nico looked back up at him. He was close enough to touch. He wanted Percy to wrap his arms around him and make him feel better. He was good at that kind of thing. 

Percy drew closer, searching his eyes for permission. He tilted Nico's chin upwards gently with his fingers and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. The passion consumed him. It went from a simmer to a violent boil, overflowing in his gut. And Nico held him closer. 

Percy slowly drew away, feeling Nico's warm breath on his cheeks. His eyes reverted to the ground, remembering what situation they were in. 

"I'm sorry, that was inappropriate..." 

Percy's green eyes held warmth as they looked into Nico's. His heart swelled. He couldn't remember the last time Octavian looked at him like that, or if he ever had. 

"Yeah, it was." Nico kissed him again, raveling his fingers in Percy's raven hair. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


"So, this is it," Nico said, showing Percy his apartment. "It's probably nothing compared to your house, considering that..." 

"It's perfect." Percy smiled. Nico's face heated up. 

Suddenly, Percy felt something warm and soft press against his shins. He looked down to see a fluffy, light grey cat with golden eyes rubbing against his legs, purring loudly.

"Oh," Nico said, stooping over to pick up the cat. "This is Samuel." 

Percy pet him behind his ears with a wide grin. "He's so cute. Can I hold him?"

"Sure." Nico carefully placed him in Percy's arms. 

He stroked the bundle of fur down his back, evoking a loud, crackling purr from the cat's throat. 

"He really likes you."

Percy seemed really happy to hear that. 

Nico invited him inside the living room—or what there was of one—and asked him to sit on the couch. He then excused himself to the bathroom, where he was going to remove his contact lenses and brush his teeth. Percy didn't mind; he contentedly pet Samuel as he waited for Nico to return. 

Nico soon came out in a baggy T-shirt and a pair of glasses. Percy had to remind himself not to stare for too long. He looked adorable swimming in the old shirt. His face was the right frame for glasses. He looked almost cuter than usual in them. 

Nico retrieved the cat from his spot on Percy's lap, pressing a lingering kiss to the side of its face before setting him loose. He immediately ran to the kitchen to eat his kibble. 

Percy lifted his arm as an invitation, and Nico accepted it, leaning into his hold. He let him hold him like that for awhile. It was warm, and he felt safe from harm and the injustices of the world. Percy pressed a chaste kiss to the top of his head, and Nico dozed off in his arms.

Percy stroked his hair as he slept peacefully. He vowed to protect him from anything the world threw at him, whether it be verbally abusive boyfriends, tax fraud or eviction notices. He was going to keep him safe from now on. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．

Nico woke in his bed, entangled in sheets and blankets and Percy's arms. He smiled nuzzling deeper into Percy's collarbone. It might have been really creepy, but he thought Percy always smelled nice. It wasn't cologne, or laundry detergent, but his natural scent. He wanted to wrap himself in it. 

Percy stirred slightly, tightening his arm around Nico's waist. He hummed contentedly in Nico's unruly bed hair and tried to fall back asleep. 

Nico didn't let him. 

He kissed his lips, and it was a temptation too sweet for Percy to resist. 

They spent the rest of the morning in each other's arms. Percy nipped at Nico's lips, evoking a whine. 

"Percy, I gotta pee."

He laughed. "Want me to make breakfast, then?"

"Mmnh. I don't eat breakfast." 

"Coffee, then?" 

"Tea."

"Whatever." Percy kissed his lips a few more times before releasing him. It took him awhile to muster the motivation to get up, himself. 

He left his jeans in a messy pile on the floor. He was going home to change, soon. They both had to be at work in about three hours. 

Percy filled the tea kettle with water and placed it on the stove. Then, he heard a knock at the door. 

"Nico," he called toward the bathroom. "Someone's at the door."

He got no response, so he shrugged and returned to the bedroom to pull his pants back on. 

He rushed to the door and opened it.

"Hey, Neeks, you aren't answering your phone..." The bastard began. He was scrawny and tall, with light blond hair and piercing blue eyes. His cheekbones were sharp. He looked like a fucking weasel. His eyes narrowed as he beheld who answered the door. "Who the hell are you?"

And Percy was in the mood to mess with him.

"Nico's unavailable at the moment. Can I take a message?" 

"I don't know who you are, but Nico—"

"Is busy at the moment. Do him a fucking favor and leave him the hell alone."

Octavian was at a loss of words. Nico couldn't have... He didn't move on already. 

"Perce? Who's at the door?" 

Percy shut the door in his face. "No one important." 

"Nico! We need to talk!" Octavian's voice shouted from the other side of the door. 

"See? No one important." 

A humorous smile crossed Nico's lips. "A door-to-door salesman, perhaps." 

"Damn missionaries." 

Nico laughed and pressed a kiss to Percy's lips. The whistle of the tea kettle ripped them from their mood. 

"I've gotta run home real quick. You know, get ready for work."

Nico nodded. "You're going to come pick me up, right?"

"I dunno. I might forget."

Nico feigned offense. "_Millionaires. _Always looking out for themselves."

Percy kissed him one more time before snatching his car keys off the counter. He took a quick glance out the front door to check for any weasels before descending the stairs and heading for his car. 

  
.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．  


_ "Morning! Today's forecast calls for blue skies." _

Percy strolled into Jackson Oil Company HQ with a tray of styrofoam cups of hot coffee. With a spring in his step, he placed a coffee on the receptionist's desk. 

"For you, Amanda."

"Oh, that's sweet of you," she told him, accepting it gratefully. 

"What floor is my dad on?"

"Fourth, I believe. He had a conference meeting this morning."

"Thanks." 

He dashed over to the elevator, and looked at it contemplatively before shrugging, and entering the doorway to the staircase, instead. 

"For you, Lawrence."

"And one for you, Kristen," he handed a coffee to his father's receptionist. "Do you know where my dad is hiding?"

"Room 412B."

"Thanks," he started down the hallway. He pivoted. "Mind telling me which way it is?"

She smiled and pointed in the opposite direction. 

"Thank you." 

He rapped on the glass door with the knuckle of his index finger.

"Who is it?" 

"It's me, your son. Your progeny. Your next-in-line for the throne."

"Just come in already, Percy." 

Percy smiled and entered the room. 

He placed a steaming hot coffee down on the long table, the chairs encircling it now rid of company executives, before which his father stood.

"Oh, thank you. That was thoughtful of you." He picked up the styrofoam cup and sipped from the small hole in the lid. 

"You wanted to see me?"

"I actually had a proposition for you." 

"Really? What kind?" Percy asked, plopping down one of the gliding chairs, twirling around in it like a child. 

Poseidon shook his head. "A business one."

"I knew that. I meant, what _kind _of business proposition?" 

"I think it's about time you learn about managing the company a bit."

He gritted his teeth and clicked his tongue. "Dad, I can't today. I've gotta work."

"Call off, then."

"No, I promised Nico a ride to work. He'd be pissed."

"He can find someone else." 

"Dad, he's kinda my boyfriend." 

Poseidon raised his eyebrows. Percy followed suit. 

"Fine. Accept my proposal for tomorrow, then?"

"Ah, Dad, you see, I'm taken." 

"Not that kind of proposal!" Poseidon corrected.

Percy laughed. "Okay, sure. Bye, Dad." 

Poseidon shook his head lovingly. His son surely was a piece of work.

.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．

Something seemed different about Nico, but Annabeth couldn't put her finger on it. He hummed to himself like he usually did. He showed his usual pedantry to the slight dirtiness of the floors and counters. He yelled at her to shut up, even if she wasn't necessarily talking, when "Tiny Dancer" started playing on the radio. What was it?

He cast a quick smile at her as he walked by to get the pizzas, snapping the bottom of a clear cooking glove on his hand. 

That was it. He was actually in a good mood for once. Did he finally get laid? Or did his asshole of a boyfriend actually let up on the insults? The second one wasn't really an option, after all, so it must've been the former. 

"What's with you?" she asked. 

"Nothing."

_ Bullshit._

"Come on, Neeks. Did something happen with Octavian, or something?"

He shook his head. "We broke up."

The lightheartedness of his tone left her flabbergasted even more than his statement. They broke up? And he wasn't even sad about it? 

Nico placed the frozen pizzas in the oven energetically before sliding the door closed and setting a timer. 

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Never better." 

Was he high?

He actually broke up with him. On his own accord. He finally realized how much of a manipulative bastard he was. 

_Holy shit, _Annabeth thought. _It's the fucking Nico di Angelo-ian Renaissance._

"And...you're happy?" 

He shrugged and leaned his elbow against the counter. "Yeah." 

"What is wrong with you?" Annabeth asked. "Wait." She gasped playfully. "Did you actually realize he's a manipulative weasel?" 

Nico nodded. "More or less. I mean, I was kind of hurt when he told me he was cheating on me the whole time with my college roommate, but whatever. Yeah, I got fed up with all the belittling stuff. I'm not into that." 

Annabeth grinned. "I'm happy for you. So, single as a Pringle again, huh?"

He looked demurely down at the counter and buried a tooth in his bottom lip. "Not exactly." 

She raised her eyebrows. Nico was getting the hang of catching her by surprise. "Who is he?"

"Take a guess," he said with a sly grin. 

She thought for a second. There was his neighbor, Will, and Jason, his friend from college that he hung out with every once in a while, and then there was... 

"Hey, Annabeth, can you hand me the glass cleaner?" Percy asked. 

"_No way_." 

"Please?" 

"Oh, yeah, here you go," she handed him the glass cleaner. "I meant... Wow, Neeks. You found a sugar daddy." 

Percy blushed. "What?"

Annabeth teasingly flicked Percy's forehead as she walked by. She was so happy. 

.・ ゜゜・・ ゜゜・．

Three months had passed, and Percy finally had the paycheck that solved all of his problems. He had the money he needed to get his car fixed. He had no reason to stay at the gas station anymore. 

Nico feverishly kissed him, his back pressed firmly against the wall of his small apartment. 

Well, maybe there was one reason. 

He had to tell him, somehow. He already put his two-weeks notice in. Perhaps, he could quit, too. He wouldn't even need to work. Percy had enough money to support the two of them. No. He knew Nico wasn't the sugar baby type that would just let him support him. He probably would want to keep his job as a lowly gas station employee. It was disgusting; Percy knew that, but as Nico always said, there was no better place to view the sunset. 

"Nico," he said between kisses. "I need to tell you something." 

"Hmm?" he hummed against his lips. 

"I put my two-weeks in." 

He stopped kissing him. "Why?" 

"I got enough money to fix my car. My dad wants me to start working at the company." 

Nico frowned. It was almost a pout, and Percy thought it was the cutest thing. "Why?"

Percy smiled. "Don't worry. I'll still come visit you. It won't change things between us. I still really like you."

Nico smiled slightly. "Okay. As long as you don't forget me." 

"How could I possibly forget you?" Percy asked, resting his hands on Nico's shoulders. "I literally memorized the lyrics of all your favorite songs to impress you. I have a toothbrush here. That's some serious stuff." 

Nico laughed. "Percy?" 

"Yeah?" 

"I think I love you."

Percy smiled and kissed him. If he'd never seen Nico outside the gas station, he never would have fallen in love with him. He would have stayed oblivious to the world. Nico would have been miserable for the rest of his life. He supposed in a way, that he was his Mr. Blue Sky, and if life was a fairytale, Nico was his happily ever after. 

As if he read his ridiculously trite thoughts, Nico raised an eyebrow. 

Percy shook his head. "Yeah. I think I'm in love with you, too."


End file.
